


The Detective

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: Tess Lives AU [5]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26111221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: The Tricksters had poisioned everyone at the fundraiser and kidnapped Barry's dad.Really not an ideal time for Eddie to finally catch the Flash
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris West
Series: Tess Lives AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571149
Kudos: 9
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	The Detective

**Author's Note:**

> Writer's Month Day 25- Drop

Barry had only stopped for a second to catch his breath. He’d just run through a wall.

Something hit his leg and Barry gasped as electricity coursed through him. He clawed at the Boot, but it was already fastened tight.

“Hands in the air, Flash,” Eddie said.

Barry spun as much as he could with his leg anchored in place. Eddie was alone. He shouldn’t be and from how close the sirens sounded he wouldn’t be for long, but right now he was alone.

Barry pulled down his cowl.

“They’ve got my dad,” he said. “Eddie, please, they’ve got my dad.”

“You can’t be,” Eddie said, and Barry hated himself for the betrayal written across his face.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re the Flash.”

“Yes.”

“You’re a criminal.”

“I just wanted to help people. You were right about there being a Reverse Flash, he’s the one who killed my mother, I can explain everything, I promise, I’ll even let you arrest me after, but Eddie, please, I can’t lose my dad too.”

The sirens were getting closer.

“Iris is in danger too,” Barry said. “I’m sorry, Eddie.”

He started vibrating faster and faster. Eddie hadn’t dropped the gun that was aimed at him yet, but he hadn’t shot Barry either.

The Boot hurt so much, and then it shattered, and Barry shot off.

Hartley had told him where to go.

He got to the warehouse just in time; several knives dropped from the ceiling and Barry didn’t stop until he and his dad were three miles away.

* * *

“You didn’t tell him,” Iris said. Barry shook his head. Iris driving him to C.C.P.D. would be less suspicious than him running. “Why not?”

“I just… I didn’t want to have to see his face when he finds out. He will find out, they’re not going to keep my identity secret when they arrest me, unless they decide it’s a bad look for them to reveal the Flash has been working for the police the whole time, they’ll probably have to run all my cases again but they’ll have to do that anyway, and-”

“Henry could never be disappointed in you. You know that, right? He’d believe that you couldn’t do what they’re accusing you of.”

“I have though. Not the hurting people, I could never do that, and I haven’t stolen anything, but I did help people escape justice.”

“The Pipeline isn’t justice. We both know that. Barry, you can’t do this.”

“I promised.”

“They’ll hand you over to Reverse Flash. At least run.”

“And leave you?”

“I’ll come with you.”

“Joe’s here. Dad. Wally. We can’t leave them. I don’t want to leave Tess, Tina, and Hartley, they deserve better too.”

“You’re a good man, Barry Allen. Never forget that. No matter what they tell you, you’re a good person and you were trying to do the right thing.”

Iris pulled into the space outside the station and turned her car engine off. She sighed.

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”

“I promised him. Eddie let me save my dad, I have to keep my word.”

“I know. At least let me kiss you goodbye.”

“Iris, I-”

“I’ve been thinking about what you said. And Hartley told me everyone knew except me because it’s always been that way, and I had all these reasons why I shouldn’t see you that way, but I wouldn’t need reasons if there wasn’t a part of me that’s always known, it just took you telling me for the penny to finally drop. I love you too. You- You should know that. I don’t know how this works, or what we do now, but I am in love with you.”

Barry leaned forward and kissed her.

“I love you,” he said. “I still-”

“I know. That wasn’t to change your mind. That was just so you knew. Let’s go see Henry.”

Barry nodded and opened the car door. Iris slipped her hand into his before they walked in. People were gossiping all around them, and Captain Singh’s office door was open.

“Dad!”

He was in the office, with Joe, Captain Singh, and a couple of guards from Iron Heights and in handcuffs already. Barry rushed in and hugged him tight.

“Sir,” one of the guards said. “I’m afraid-”

“Just let them have one hug,” Iris said. “After everything, I think they deserve one hug.”

“I’m so sorry,” Barry said.

“It’s all right, Slugger,” his dad said. “Everything’s fine. That Flash fellow saved me.”

“I thought…”

“I know. You have to let me go now, Barry.”

Barry nodded and stepped back, and Iris slipped her hand into his again.

“Are we done here?” the guard asked.

“I think so,” Captain Singh said gently. Barry watched them take his dad away again. “Ms West. How are you feeling?”

“Fine now,” Iris said. “Whatever you had S.T.A.R. Labs cook up seems to have worked.” She squeezed Barry’s hand as he tensed. “I would like to talk to you about them some time.”

“Maybe later, Iris,” Joe said. “You two should get home.”

“Do you need tomorrow off as well, Allen?” Captain Singh asked.

“I’ll be fine, sir,” Barry said. “Thank you.”

“I would like to talk to you a moment, Ms West,” Captain Singh said.

“I’ll meet you later,” Barry said. “See you later, Joe.”

* * *

Eddie wasn’t at his desk. Or anywhere Barry could see inside C.C.P.D.

So, he’d grabbed a pair of metacuffs and gone to see if he was at home. No one answered the door, but presumably Eddie would come home at some point, so Barry phased through the door.

He’d changed back into the suit. If Eddie was going to take him back to C.C.P.D., him having all the evidence would help. And Barry had temporarily disabled the G.P.S. just in case Hartley was still watching.

He’d just about managed to get the cuffs on himself when the door opened, and Eddie walked in.

“Geez, Allen, you broke into my home?”

“You weren’t at your desk,” Barry said. He held up his cuffed hands. “I promised I’d let you arrest me.”

“You promised you’d explain. You can start by why you broke into Mercury Labs.”

“I owe Tina and Tess my life, I wouldn’t steal from anyone, but I especially wouldn’t steal from them. You were right, there’s another speedster, he calls himself Reverse Flash. He’s the man who killed my mother.”

“How long have you been like this?”

“Since the particle accelerator. The lightning did it.”

“What happened to Simon Stagg?”

“I think Reverse Flash killed him too.”

“And Reverse Flash is the one whose been helping people escape the meta task force.”

“No, that’s me.”

“Why?”

“Because once a meta goes into S.T.A.R. Labs, they don’t walk out.”

“The Pipeline is being used to hold criminals.”

“They haven’t had trials.”

“They’ve had private-”

“No, Eddie, they haven’t. I get it. Kyle Nimbus killed people. He killed Teresa Howard in front of me, he almost killed Joe, he almost killed me twice. He’s dangerous, but he still deserves a trial. What about Shawna Baez, she got mixed up because she dated a prick, that’s it.”

“She broke a man out of prison and robbed a lot of people.”

“Also, she shot me, but she deserves better still. What about Farooq Gibran?”

“He was trying to kill Doctor Wells.”

“He was trying to ask for help. I met him. He drained my powers temporarily. He was just scared and hurting and there was no one he could ask for help. What about Mark Mardon, he’s a criminal and maybe he should be in Iron Heights, but he had no idea what had happened to his brother, he thought Joe had killed him, it was only because of Cisco Ramon we were able to tell him what had really happened.”

“And he attacked S.T.A.R. Labs.”

“I know. I know there needs to be something, but there must be something better.”

“Cisco hasn’t been into work for a month. Last time I saw him was with Hartley.”

“They were working on something together. Cisco’s fine, he’s just not sure they were doing the right thing. Hartley told him the truth about the accelerator, that he warned Wells it was going to blow, and he was sacked because of it.”

“Why would Doctor Wells do that?”

“Because he isn’t Doctor Harrison Wells. He’s the Reverse Flash. He killed the real Harrison Wells fifteen years ago, right after he killed my mother, and he stole his face.”

“You expect me to believe that.”

“Talk to Tess, she can tell you what she saw, but what’s more likely, I’m telling you the truth, or I’m the man who murdered my mother.”

“He’s paralysed.”

“He’s lying. Look, Eddie, I swear, I only ever wanted to help people. I know I hurt you-”

“Bivolo already admitted to hypnotising you when he was arrested,” Eddie said. “I know that wasn’t you, and you had good reason to be pissed.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, I’ll get I.A. and D.A. Horton on it, but I don’t know how long that will take. Have you talked to that reporter Iris was talking to?”

“Mason Bridge? What for?”

“To tell people what’s going on. I’m sure Iris is working on it, but he wanted to talk about Doctor Wells so maybe he knows something. Give me your hands.”

Barry stretched his arms out and Eddie took the cuffs off again.

“What are you doing?” Barry asked.

“I’m not going to arrest you if it means handing you over to the man who murdered your mother. I think I do need to talk to Doctor Morgan. This is incredibly hard to believe, you know that.”

“Yes.”

“But you’re investigating. You’re trying to stop whatever he’d doing; you’re trying to help people.”

“Yes. Always.”

“Count me in.”


End file.
